Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes early voting for all federal, state, and county elections, requires individuals intending to vote to present a form of government issued photo identification or vote by affidavit ballot, and provides for the restoration of voting rights for specific convicted felons.

Highlights:

-Establishes early voting for all federal, state, and county elections to be available 20 days before the date of an election and ending 5 days before the date of an election, and is subject to the same laws that govern procedures for election day voting (Secs. 2-11). -Requires individuals intending to vote to present a form of government issued photo identification or vote by affidavit ballot, which shall be counted following an examination to determine if the individual is a qualified voter, and enumerates the following as proper forms of photo identification (Sec. 19):

- Mississippi driver's license; -Identification card containing a photograph that was issued by the state of Mississippi; -U.S. passport; -Employee identification containing a photograph that was issued by the federal government, state of Mississippi, or any county, municipality, board, authority, or other entity of the state; -U.S. military identification card; -Student identification card containing a photograph from any public or private college, university, or postgraduate, technical, or professional school in Mississippi; and -Mississippi license to carry a pistol or revolver.

-Exempts individuals who were born on or before August 6, 1944 from the photo identification requirements to vote (Sec. 19). -Requires the registrar of each county to provide at least one place in the county where individuals may apply for and receive a Mississippi voter identification card if they do not have a valid, unexpired Mississippi drivers license, which contains a color photograph of the individual and the following information (Sec. 20):

-Full legal name; -Residence address; -Date of birth; -Sex; -Height; -Weight; -Eye Color; -Date of issuance; and -County.

-Requires individuals seeking to obtain a Mississippi voter identification card to present the following (Sec. 20):

-Photo identity document or an identity document that contains the individual's full legal name and date of birth; -Documentation showing the individual's date of birth; -Evidence that the individual is registered to vote in the county; and -Documentation showing the individual's name and address of principal residence.

-Establishes the restoration of voting rights for individuals convicted of crimes that otherwise rescind voting rights according to Section 241 of the Mississippi State Constitution, provided that all of the following circumstances apply (Sec. 23):

-The individual is a first time offender; -The conviction is for a nonviolent crime, meaning a felony other than homicide, robbery, manslaughter, sex crimes, arson, burglary of an occupied dwelling, aggravated assault, kidnapping, felonious abuse of vulnerable adults, felonies with enhanced penalties, the sale or manufacture of a controlled substance under the Uniform Controlled Substances Law, felony child abuse, exploitation of a child and other crimes committed against children (§ 97-5-39(1)(b), § 97-5-39(1)(c), and § 97-5-39(2)), and operating a vehicle while under influence of alcohol, drugs, or controlled substances resulting in the death or mutilation, disfigurement, or permanent disability of another individual; -The individual has completed their sentence and is not under probation or parole for the conviction; -The individual has paid full restitution for the crime; and -The individual has paid all fines, court costs, and other penalties imposed during sentencing by the court.

Full Bill Text